Wagners in Singpaore

 

 Grandma and Grandpa Wagner came to visit us in Singapore! They did an amazing tour through China with a stop in Bali and then came to Singapore.

 

 It was so nice to have them here.

     

We spent some of our time like tourists, showing them come of our favorite spots in Sing. Here we are at the Merlion statue in the bay just south of the central business district.

 

 

  We also took the kids to and from school (remember when we almost got dehydrated before we got to school??), walked around our neighborhood and the local markets, and went to the grocery store of course. You wouldn't want to miss the soy sauce aisle at the grocery store - there are so many different kinds your mind will be blown.

 

In between all of that we were so grateful to just be able to visit. The boys squeezed into our tiny kitchen to make cookies with Grandma. 

 

Don't forget the Mexican vanilla! 

 

Noah and Grandma Wagner playing a piano duet.

 

Grandma Wagner reading books to Sybil.

 

Grandpa playing legos with the boys in their room

and wrestling with Gage.

     

While the boys were at school we toured around this amazing city. Dave took them to see his office at Singapore Management University.

 

One day we toured Chinatown and its impressive Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. One of my absolute favs. We watched  locals lighting their incense, kneeling, and making offerings. We walked past the one hundred Buddhas and the one hundred dragons with the monks' recitations filling our ears. Then up to the top floor to wander through the museum, spin the prayer wheel in the rooftop garden and see the tooth relic itself.  

 

 

I love the contrast in this photo of the old Chinatown shop houses with the central business district in the background.   

 

Another day we went to Arab street, walked through the five foot way past the carpet shops, hookah shops and fabric shops until we arrived at the Sultanate Mosque.  

I love this place. You can hear the call to prayer over the loudspeakers from several blocks away. It was built in 1824 as a gift to the Malaysian sultan from the East India Trading Company. The black ring at the base of the gold dome is made of the bottom of glass bottles contributed by the local Muslim people.

 

This man was so helpful and explained a lot to us about the mosque and the 5 pillars of Islam.

   

A peek inside the main prayer hall

 

 

And because we were DYING of heat we stopped to sip some lime juice and munch on malaysian snacks - gulu malaka, serimuka, onde-onde   

Another night we toured Little India. Driving through the crowded streets in the taxi Grandma Wagner said she felt like she was in a Indiana Jones movie. Our favorite Hindu temple was under reconstruction which was too bad but we still squeezed inside to see the lively ceremony going on. Then back across the street for palak paneer and murgh makhini at our favorite Indian restaurant.

 

We also took them on the Singapore Flyer which is the biggest observation wheel in the world.  The views are incredible.

We also had local food one night at Glutton's Bay

with ice kachang for dessert, the boys' favorite.

We were so glad they came to visit!